Sealing device



Patented Dec. l4,` 1948 sEALING nevica Julius Naab, Easton, Pa., assignor to Ingersoll- Rand Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 20, 1945, Serial No. 623,579

l Claim. l Thisinvention relates to sealing devices. and more particularly to a sealing device for reciprocatory pistons. v

One object of the invention is to assure an \eflective seal between a piston and the cylinder containing it.

Another object is to prevent the leakage of fluid medium through the sealing-ring grooves in the piston.

A further object is to assure uniform pressure against the sealing ring for maintaining it in sealing relation with the wall of the piston chamber. y

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view, partly broken away, of a portion of a cylinder and a piston therein equipped with a sealing device constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse view taken through Figure l on the line 2-2,

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a sealing segment,

Figure 4 is an end view of a rubber expander ring serving to press the sealing segment into engagement with the wall of the cylinder, and

Figure 5 is a side view of the expander ring.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, designates a cylinder having a piston chamber 2|, and 22 is a piston reciprocable in the piston chamber.

The piston 22 is of suillciently smaller diameter than the piston chamber to avoid contact between the two and is held coaxially in the piston chamber by the piston rod 23 and a tail rod 24.

In the periphery of the piston a're the usual annular grooves 2li, two being shown, for the accommodation of sealing means shown as being in the form of a plurality of segments 28 which are constructed to conform with the wall of the piston chamber 2| wherewith they cooperate. The segments preferably consist of graphitic carbon and are provided at their ends with wings 21 which overlap each other in the assembled positions of the segments in a groove 2B.

The segments are of less depth than the groove 25 and, in accordance with the practice of the invention, are urged outwardly into sealing engagement with the wall of the piston chamber 2| by an expander 28 in the form of a rubber band, preferably of ring shape. The expander is oi slightly smaller diameter than the bottom of the 2 groove 25 so thatit will be tensed when positioned therein and will adhere firmly to the piston. Its thickness is, moreover, initially greater than the space between the segments 28 and the bottom of the groove so that suilicient displacement of l rubber will be effected by the'segments, when in engagement with the wall of the piston chamber, to assure the force necessary to hold the segments in sealing engagement with the cylinder.

Inl order to permit the rubber of the expander to be thus displaced, said expander may be of less width than the groove25 to enable the rubber to flow endwise or, the expander may, as shown, be provided with notches 29 arranged in staggered relation in its opposed edges. In the latter case the expander may have an overall length substantially equal to the width of the groove 25, and the'rubber displaced by the segments will then flow in the direction of the notches 2S.

In the assembled positions of the parts and when the piston assembly lies in the piston chamber the inner surfaces of the segments 2d are in iull and firm engagement with the outer surface of the expander to form a iluid tight seal, and the expander grips the piston with suiilcient rmness to prevent the leakage of fluid medium along the bottom of the groove 25. By reason of this arrangement, there can be no leakage of fluid through the groove and the segments may,

therefore, be proportioned to have free movement, radially, in the groove.

In practice, when the piston 22, together with the expander 28 and the segments 26, are placed in the piston chamber 2| the pressure of the segments upon the expander will cause the displacement of rubber into the notches 29. The expanderl will then be conditioned to press the segments outwardly and maintain them in sealing relation with the wall of the piston chamber and to preclude leakage of fluid through the groove 25.

I claim: In a sealing device, a body having an annular groove in its periphery, sealing means in the groove consisting of a plurality of segments. a rubber ring. in the groove to urge the segments radially outward and being in sealing engagement with the bottom of the groove and with the inner surfaces of the segments, and recesses arranged in staggered relation in the opposed edges of the rubber ring to permit theilow thereinto of rubber displaced by the segments.

JULIUS NAAB.

Y(References on following page) REFERENCES CYTED The following references are o1 record lx1 the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Dute Blake "Nov, 7, 1871 Harsen May 2, 1905 Number Onions Oct. 13, 1942 

